Shadowbreath Part 3
by She'sLikeTexas
Summary: Seven months after the events of "Shadowbreath," The Winter Soldier returns


**Note: The Winter Soldier returns**

**Shadowbreath **

**Part 3**

Despite how uncomfortable it made Steve, Tony couldn't help but pace. He needed to _move_, to remind himself that he wasn't trapped, to count all of possible escape routes again and again.

"Tony, it's okay. I told you that you didn't have to see him. You don't have to come with me." Steve sounded exasperated, and the billionaire couldn't bring himself to look him in the eye.

It wasn't that Tony was _scared _per say. He wasn't. Of course, he would be lying to himself if he said that he didn't still have nightmares about the fight in Siberia, but that was more about his best friend destroying the Arc Reactor than Barnes going after it. Tony blew the man's arm off for touching it, so really, they were even. Kind of.

He was still _beyond_ pissed at Barnes for murdering his parents, but a few discussions with Steve and Pepper reminded him that his anger was better directed at Hydra. After watching those lunatics try to brainwash his favorite niece, Tony couldn't bring himself to ignore the fact that it wasn't really _Barnes_ who did the deed. He was a weapon for Hydra against his will.

Well, the Avengers weren't going to let Hydra gain any more footing. Seven months ago, the terrorist organization found out what happens when you mess with Earth's Mightiest Heroes, and Tony didn't think they would recover easily. That didn't make him complacent, though. He had F.R.I.D.A.Y. on a twenty-four/seven security watch for any mention or whisper of Hydra. They'd gotten a couple hits for some small cell activity, and after checking with the liaisons at the UN, sent a team to crack down on it.

The signing of the Accords reforms went as smoothly as could be expected. There was a rousing debate between the members of the UN and the Avengers, but eventually they were all able to shake hands and sign the damn papers, with Captain America first in line. Pictures were taken, press conferences and speeches were given, and the Avengers smoozed their way through Geneva, Switzerland.

With the approval of the United Nations and as a gesture of good faith, they were able to transfer Barnes from Wakanda to the Avengers Compound for his rehabilitation. Their guests were set to arrive within the next few hours, hence the reason Tony was currently pacing a hole through the Tower's floor.

"Tony, can you please just stop for a second and look at me?"

The billionaire groaned and crossed his arms over his chest, narrowing his eyes at the super soldier.

Steve gave him a small smile and rested a hand on Tony's shoulder. "I'll go meet T'Challa and Shuri and help Bucky get settled in. Sam will come with me. Go find Peter or Pepper, and take your mind off of all of this until you're ready."

"I'm not an invalid, Rogers. I don't need a distract-"

"Tony?" Peter stepped off of the elevator and waited nervously at the edge of the workshop.

The billionaire spun around, his shoulders sagging in relief. "Kid! Just in time!"

Peter furrowed his brow, "Were you expecting me?" Steve smirked at them both, biting the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing.

Tony shook his head and tossed him a wrench that was laying on the closest workbench. Peter grabbed it out of the air expertly. "I'm always expecting you, Pete. But you just so happened to come at the most opportune moment, because I'm about to take apart the nineteen sixty-four Aston Martin DB-5, and I could use a hand."

The super soldier didn't even try to contain his amusement again when Peter lit up like an overgrown puppy and rushed over to Tony's side. "I'll call you later, alright?"

"Sure, Steve." The billionaire waived over his shoulder. "If you need me, you know where to find me. But try not to need me."

Steve gave him one last grin before disappearing behind the elevator doors.

Peter pulled up the specs to the vintage car and cocked his head. "Where's he going?"

Tony hesitated for a moment before deciding that he might as well tell him the truth. He didn't lie to Peter, and an act of omission was still technically a lie. "He's going to the Compound. T'Challa and Shuri are bringing Barnes in today."

The kid's eyes widened, and he abandoned the holoscreen to turn to look at him. "The Winter Soldier is going to be here? In New York?"

"He's not the Winter Soldier anymore, Pete. They fixed his brain while he was over in Wakanda."

Peter scrunched up his nose. "But he's still the same guy who murdered your parents though."

Tony sighed and wiped a hand across his face. "Yeah, he's the same guy. But-"

"Dad," Peter let out a frustrated breath, and Tony's heart constricted. He loved, _loved_ it when Peter called him that. They had a good long talk about their relationship after the Battle on Capitol Hill, but his kid was still a little gun shy about using the "D" word. He wasn't Peter's real father, but Tony would cut down anyone who said that Peter wasn't his son. He loved him more than anything, and the billionaire thought that had to count for something. "You don't have to pretend you're okay with this. It's why you aren't going with Cap, right?"

He thought about just dragging Peter along to the garage and forgetting about this whole mess, but figured it wouldn't really get him anywhere productive. "I'm not pretending, Pete. I'm not ready to see Barnes, that much is true. But I know the difference between him and the Winter Soldier. We can't hold that against him."

"You don't have to hold it against him, but you don't have to torture yourself into seeing him either."

Tony gnawed at his bottom lip. "I won't. I won't see him until I'm ready."

Peter shifted against the workbench. "Is it okay if I hide out with you, then? I don't particularly want to see him either."

The billionaire's eyebrows shot up in surprise, "What do you mean? Last time you met him you thought his metal arm was soooo cool."

Peter clearly wasn't amused. "That was before I knew he murdered your parents and fought you in Siberia. He's the reason the Avengers broke up, Tony. If Cap hadn't lied to you about him, then none of this...this _bullshit_ would have ever even happened!"

Tony stared for a few silent moments.

"You're angry."

His kid threw his hands up in the air, clearly exasperated. "Of course I'm angry! All of this is his fault! The Avengers would have never fought each other if the Winter Soldier hadn't come in and screwed everything up!"

"Peter," Tony started slowly, holding up his palms in an attempt to calm him down. "You have to stop thinking like that, okay? I don't regret Germany, and neither should you."

That seemed to snap Peter out of his simmering frustration. "Wait, what?"

"I don't regret Germany." He repeated. "I don't regret us fighting one another, because if things were different, if Bucky wasn't the Winter Soldier, then I wouldn't have found _you_." Tony waited for Peter to understand. When it still didn't seem to sink in, he continued. "If I hadn't needed a team to fight against Steve and the others, then I wouldn't have reached out to you. It might have happened later on down the line, but we might not have had this." He gestured between the two of them. "I will never, _ever_ regret that, Peter."

"I mean yeah, it was shitty how everything went down, but we worked it all out. The Avengers are back together, the rogues were pardoned, and Steve and I are friends again. I have _you_. If Barnes wasn't the Winter Soldier, then I wouldn't have you."

Peter crumpled at Tony's words, and the billionaire barely caught him before his knees gave out. Tony wrapped both arms around Peter, completely encompassing him so that he was surrounding the teenager. "I'm not ready to face the man who murdered my parents, kiddo. But I'm not angry. Not anymore. Not after all that's happened. I don't want you to be angry either."

The small nod against his chest confirmed that Peter understood. Tony kept them like that for a few more seconds before pulling away and clapping him on the shoulder. "Now, I believe we had an engine to take apart…"

XX

Steve couldn't believe it.

Bucky was actually _here_. He was here, right in front of him, whole again. Well, partly whole. He had refused to allow Shuri to create a new metal arm for him, said he didn't deserve it. He went after Tony's Arc Reactor and paid the price. Bucky wouldn't let her make a new arm because he was punishing himself.

"It's fine, Stevie." And didn't that nickname make him feel ten years old again and one hundred and eighty pounds lighter? "I don't want it. It brings back seventy years worth of bad memories."

Steve sighed, wanting to call him out on his bullshit, to tell him that he was being crazy and that it was okay to want the limb that he lost, but he didn't. Instead, he engulfed his friend into a hug and held him there for a few precious moments.

Bucky laughed and pulled back, "Even after they put my mind through a blender, I can still remember the scrawny kid I used to pull from fights in the back alleyways."

The super soldier smiled and shook his head, turning to look at Sam. "Don't believe a word he says, I always handled things fine on my own."

"Sure you did, Cap." Sam rolled his eyes and shook Bucky's hand, "Glad to see you're not trying to kill us anymore. That was a pain in my ass."

Steve winced, but Bucky snorted in amusement. At least he was good natured about the whole brain-washing thing now.

Shuri smirked and crossed her arms over her chest after greeting Steve and Sam. "Even though he's not trying to kill anyone anymore, it won't stop him from being a pain the ass. The White Wolf is as stubborn as a mule."

"Sounds like he'll get along with Alex just fine, then." Sam grinned, winking at Steve.

Bucky's eyes widened, and he looked around. "Yeah, what's this about me having a niece now? You couldn't bring her here to meet me?"

"She's coming later with the others, Buck. Nat, Clint, Wanda, Vision, and Scott will all be here in about an hour. I just wanted to see how you were for myself."

T'Challa gave him a knowing look. "I can promise you that your friend has been well looked after, Captain. I believe he is ready to return to a land where he does not have to herd goats all hours of the day."

Steve grinned. "What do you think leading the Avengers entails? That sounds like normal, day to day life here"

"I guess you'll fit in just fine, Barnes." Sam clapped his hands together and headed towards the kitchen. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to get my hands on some of that scotch Stark has stashed away somewhere."

Bucky hesitated and turned to Steve while T'Challa, Shuri, and Okoye followed Sam. "He's not coming, is he?"

The corners of Steve's lips twitched downward. "Not yet, Buck. Peter is keeping him busy. He'll come when he's ready."

His friend pushed a few strands of long black hair out of his eyes and sighed. "Figured as much. I just...I just want a chance to apologize. I hurt a lot of people while I was under, Stevie. It won't change anything, but he deserves at least that."

Steve grimaced, wrapping an arm around Bucky and leading him towards the kitchen. "Tony will come around. He made it possible for you to be here, right? Baby steps."

"Baby steps," he agreed begrudgingly. "So, tell me what I've missed since they pulled you out of the ice."

Sam barked out a laugh from the kitchen. "Oh, I definitely need a drink to hear _that_ story."

XX

The rest of the Avengers arrived at the Compound right before nightfall.

It was a lot to take in, but Bucky found himself relaxing despite his last encounter with most of them. This was Steve's new family, people that loved and protected him, and Bucky was determined not to screw this up. Stark still wasn't here, but he tried not to think too much about that. The billionaire would show up when he was ready, and Bucky had nothing but time.

After flirting easily with Natasha, who just smirked and walked away, leaving Clint to snort and tell him 'good luck,' he was left with his most important target. Alex was waiting with her arms crossed and her head cocked, eyeing him uneasily. She was chewing gum, blowing small bubbles while she studied him.

Bucky steeled himself, remembering what Steve had told him over the phone. The girl had a rough past that was littered with traces of Hydra, just like himself. She was recovering from their attempt at brainwashing her, but Steve gushed over how well she was doing. His friend was officially her legal guardian, and they got along pretty well. They bickered, as anyone would expect, but they didn't fight. Alex seemed to accept his authority on most things, but she tested the limits, something Steve had assumed she picked up from Stark. Alex had made friends in this new life, had found a new family. Something Bucky was determined to do for himself.

Steve was his family, but now so was she. And he needed her to like him.

"So, you're Alex, right?"

She shrugged, "And you're James Buchanan Barnes."

"My friends call me Bucky."

"I'll stick with James for now, if it's all the same to you."

Bucky's lips twitched. He could feel Steve watching them from the kitchen, ready to intervene if necessary. "James it is. You want to hear some stories of Steve when he was your age? Captain America wasn't always six foot four, two hundred and eighty pounds, you know."

Her tight jaw relaxed, and he could see the interest dance behind her eyes. _Hook, Line, and Sinker_. "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship, James. One that will involve embarrassing Steve whenever possible."

"I don't like the sound of that…" Their shared aquaintance waltzed up, looking back and forth between the two nervously.

Bucky just grinned and held out his hand for Alex, who shook it enthusiastically. "I think so too, Miss Rogers. It's what I do best, after all."

XX

"So Spider-Man and Shadowbreath didn't need to sign the Accords?" Bucky clarified, resting outstreched on the couch after dinner.

Steve shook his head from the loveseat. "No, they aren't officially Avengers. Plus, they're minors. Tony and I decided that they wouldn't be signing any legally binding document before they were of age."

Clint snorted, still perched on the back of the couch. "Doesn't stop them from practically begging to come out in the field with us for every call."

Alex jabbed her spoon full of ice cream in Clint's direction, leaning back against Steve's legs. "Hey, we kick ass in every training session you put us through. We're ready!"

"Maybe she has a point." Natasha shrugged, earning her a glare from the super soldier. "On a probationary basis, of course. They won't really get any better if they don't see any real action."

"See!" Alex cheered, and Steve's stomach suddenly felt heavy. He was not a big fan of the idea of Alex or Peter working out in the field. It was his job now to keep Alex safe, and her and Peter were just kids. Sure, they had these incredible powers, but they were only sixteen years old. _Children_. Plus, there were just too many unknowns in a real fight. Anything could go wrong, especially in their line of work.

"What do you think, James?" Alex asked Bucky, turning to him with a popped eyebrow. Steve loved that two of the most important people in his life were getting along, but that didn't mean that he had to enjoy that they bonded over _him_. Namely, embarrassing stories of him.

His friend eyed them both carefully, and Steve knew he wasn't going to like his answer. "I think you should give them a chance." When he went to argue, Bucky cut him off with a wave of his hand. "It's going to happen eventually, right? Might as well let them at least get a taste of the action."

Alex spun around and grinned up at him, and Steve tried to keep a straight face. She just looked so damn happy, he couldn't help but reciprocate. He ran his fingers through her hair and chuckled. "I'll think about it, alright?"

That must have been good enough for her, because she relaxed at his touch and leaned back against his legs again, setting the now empty bowl beside her.

Just as he was about to settle back in his seat, the blaring alarm went off, sending everyone to their feet. "F.R.I.D.A.Y.?"

"The Avengers have been called to Manhattan, Captain. A number of advanced robots known as "Doombots" seem to be gearing up for attack. Boss is suiting up now."

"Connect me to him, F.R.I.D.A.Y." He ordered.

"Yes, Captain."

A second later, "Cap? Looks like Dr. Doom has really screwed the pooch this time. Sorry to cut your reunion short."

Steve motioned to the rest of his teammates, "Tony, you're closest to the city. Take Spider-Man with you. The rest of us will suit up and be wheels up in five."

A hesitant pause. "Did I hear you right, Steve? Did you just tell me to bring my sixteen year old-"

"Iron Man," Steve cut off, "Spider-Man and Shadowbreath need some experience if they are going to be Avengers one day. Plus, we have two new friends that will be joining us." He nodded to T'Challa and Okoye, who were already covered in their armor.

Tony let out a frustrated breath. "Fine. Get your asses over here, then."

The line cut off, and everyone scrambled to suit up. Alex gave him a quick, bone crushing hug before darting after Nat. He turned to Bucky, "Stay here with Shuri, we'll be back soon."

"Sure, sure, leave me to babysit." The princess smirked and rolled her eyes, punching Bucky lightly in his remaining arm.

Steve gave them both a quick, thankful smile before following the others towards their suits downstairs.

XX

With a full team behind him, the fight was over relatively quickly. Iron Man and Spider-Man held down the fort fairly well until the Avengers arrived fifteen minutes later to back them up.

He had Okoye, Ant-Man, and Black Widow on crowd control, keeping the property damage to a minimum. Spider-Man's webbing kept a few buildings from crumbing completely while also slamming a few Doombots into each other. Iron Man, Vision, Falcon, and Scarlet Witch took the robots apart in the air, while Hawkeye took out a few dozen from his perch using his new arrows. The Black Panther and Shadowbreath stayed with him on the ground, ripping through their enemies expertly.

Steve couldn't help but notice how wonderfully cohesive the Avengers were fighting. They were a real team, working together like they belonged at each other's sides. And they did. This is what the Avengers were _meant_ to do. Protect their city, protect their world when it was threatened.

After only twenty minutes of fighting, Iron Man blasted the last of the Doombots out of the sky, and Wanda used her magic to dump the robot into their "trash" pile. Steve ordered Vision and Falcon to help him with a perimeter sweep while the others ensure that any casualties among civilians were reported and looked after.

Spider-Man and Shadowbreath stayed behind to guard the pile of broken down robots while the others went to check on the passersbys and speak to the police, which is why they were the only two around when things went wrong.

Horribly, horribly wrong.

Steve rounded a corner, ensuring that there wasn't any stray machinery flying around when his comm unit buzzed static into his ear. "-Cap?"

He paused and furrowed his brow. "Spider-Man? Do you copy?"

More static. He glanced up at Sam, who landed at his side. "Ste-...-thing's wrong. The Doo-" Steve tapped on his ear piece.

"Iron Man, are the comms down?"

A loud groan echoed across the streets, and Steve's veins froze over.

"_Help_!"

_Alex_. He didn't think he had ever moved so fast in his life. Steve shot off back towards the others, heart pumping as his legs tore him through the streets of Manhattan. Sam flew ahead of him, but just barely. He rounded Broadway and his stomach lurched. The asphalt rumbled beneath his feet as the other Avengers formed a half-circle around him, completely entranced at the growing sight.

The pile of broken and discarded Doombots were morphing into some kind of...robot, monster, _thing_. It's two hands were sparking with snapped wires and dismantled parts, holding Spider-Man and Shadowbreath by their waists. Their sharp cries broke Steve out of his trace, and he barked out orders to his teammates. They obeyed without a second thought, leaping towards the monster with renewed fervor.

"Iron Man, Vision, find Doom, wherever he is, and _shut him down_!" Luckily, his teammate's networks were able to work while they fought, so Steve wasn't down two teammates as they blasted the monster backwards. He sliced his shield through their enemy's legs, slowly but surely climbing upwards towards the wrenching teenagers.

Spider-Man's super strength was just as impressive as Steve's, and judging by the grunts of exertion above him, Peter was fighting his way out of the monster's grip all on his own. A large creak and groan sounded before the hand snapped open, and Spider-Man dropped towards the ground. Iron Man caught him in a bridal hold before he could fall five feet, switched on his thrusters, and flew over towards another building.

With the loss of one of his hostages, the robot seemed to grow more agitated, squeezing its remaining grip tighter. At the sound of Alex's screams, Steve saw red. He roared to his teammates, and their efforts tripled at his orders. Iron Man confirmed he had a location for the man behind the curtain, and demanded Falcon's help taking him down while the Avengers kept advancing on the robot. His mind was running over each of his teammate's routes while still staying singularly focused on getting to Alex. The monster was being assaulted from all sides relentlessly, and he could feel the bot shake under the strain.

Steve couldn't hear anything besides the heavy rush of blood between his ears, Alex's painful groans inside his comms whiting everything else out. He swung to the side, narrowly missing a repulsor blast from one of the dismantled bots, and finally, _finally_ reached the enormous hand holding onto his kid. Black Panther and Vision were already there, trying to free her from it's grasp. He didn't waste any time before leaping up to gain enough momentum to slam his shield down again, dislodging a few broken bots. Their enemy shuddered, and Steve took advantage of the lack of control by gripping onto its appendages and yanking it away from Shadowbreath. Alex tried to scramble upward, but she whimpered when her foot lodged in one of the Doombot's shattered chest pieces.

Vision used his stone to direct a beam of energy at the offending machinery and wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting her away from the robot long enough for Steve and T'Challa to release their hold on the hand.

Whatever Tony and Sam had done to Doom had done the trick, because as soon as Shadowbreath was out of harm's way, the remaining pieces of the monster robot vibrated violently. Steve ordered everyone to clear the area and contain the fallout. He leapt off of the mangled hand, rolling into the pavement and quickly searching for Alex.

"Captain, I have deposited her onto the rooftop with Spider-Man." Vision confirmed as he flew beside him, and Steve felt something in his chest release. She was safe, for now. The comms were still full of static, so he couldn't ask for a report, but Steve trusted that Vision would have told him if Alex was hurt. Now he just needed to focus on the giant robot falling apart in front of them.

As one cohesive team, the Avengers rushed forward and took it apart piece by piece now that it wasn't being controlled by anyone. Iron Man flew by his side and reported that Dr. Doom had been in a basement nearby. He and Sam destroyed the villain's control center and delivered him to authorities. The only thing left to do was make sure these broken down boys couldn't join together again.

Steve's blamed his still high-running adrenaline from seeing his kid trapped in the giant robot's clutches for his next decision, but would explain in the debriefing that it was obviously the smart and tactical move. He ordered Iron Man to figure out what temperature all of the metal portions of their enemy melted at and to make it happen. He could practically see Tony's surprised face behind the face mask, but ignored it. Steve wanted this monster completely _incinerated_ for going after the two teenagers, and he didn't leave any room for discussion.

He waited about twenty minutes while T'Challa, Tony, and Vision discussed the best way to go about following through with his orders before doing another perimeter run. Scott and Wanda fell on his six while Okoye and Sam met with the police captain. Clint and Natasha were up on the roof with Peter and Alex, who were a little shaken up based on what Nat told him, but they would be fine. Steve knew he needed to clear his head before confronting either of them, because the only plan of action he could think of at the moment was to lock them both in the Compound and make sure they never came out on another mission.

Somehow, he didn't think that would go over well.

No, Steve would finish his perimeter check and calm the hell down. They both did a fantastic job of working with the team up until the point where the dismantled Doombots joined together to create the giant robotic monster. He needed to keep the successful portions of their mission at the forefront of his mind, or Steve feared that he might go a little crazy.

By the time he made it back to Broadway, the scattered robots had been melted down, and he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. Tony dropped down by his side as he approached, "If you don't mind Cap, I'm going to make sure our kids make it home. I don't particularly like the thought of them waiting until the rest of us are ready to go."

Steve nodded, thankful that he wasn't alone in wanting the get Peter and Alex the hell out of dodge. "Thanks, Tony. Take Nat with you. We will wrap up here and meet you back at the Compound."

Tony switched on his thrusters and hovered in the air, but before he could take off Steve called out for him. "And...can you tell them they did a great job?"

Iron Man hovered for a moment before switched open his face plate. "They did, didn't they?" Steve could see the swell of pride in Tony that matched his own, and he shot his friend a wide grin before he took off.

XX

Peter groaned, depositing himself onto the couch in the Compound's Common Room while Alex flopped down on the one to his left. Tony gave a small huff of laughter, pushing Peter's hair back from his sweaty face while Nat grabbed them both some water.

"Feeling okay there, kiddo?"

He gave a weak nod. He would be fine. Peter catalogued a few bruises around his waist, but they would heal probably overnight. Now that the adrenaline from the fight had worn off, he was just exhausted.

"I'm good, promise."

Tony smirked down at him, then rested a leg over the arm of the couch. "You know, Cap wanted me to pass on a message to you both."

Alex flinched out of the corner of his eye, and Natasha laid a hand along the name of her neck. "He told you to tell us that we screwed up, right? That we should have kept a closer lookout for something like that." She threw her arms over her face to cover her eyes. "Great. Now Steve isn't going to let us go out on missions anymore."

Tony snorted, shaking his head. "Actually, he wanted me to tell you both that you did a great job."

That had both of them straightening up in their seats. Peter furrowed his brow, "Wait, what?"

"Sounds like Stevie to me…" The four of them spun around to see none other than James Buchanan Barnes stepping into the room, with whom Peter assumed was Shuri on his heels.

Tony and Peter both froze while Natasha stood up with a smirk and crossed her arms. "Look what the cat dragged in."

Shuri threw her head back and laughed. "I get it, you know, because my brother is basically an overgrown cat? Hilarious." She snickered, and Peter found himself fighting down a smile. "I'm going to have to remember that one."

Barnes looked between them both and rolled his eyes before turning his attention to both Peter and Alex. Peter noticed how his gaze carefully avoided Tony. "I uh, just wanted to check on you both. We were watching the fight on the news."

Everyone stayed silent for a few awkward moments before Alex pushed herself off of the couch. By the way she carried her wait on one foot, Peter knew the other must have been sprained when the giant Doombot had ahold of her. "We're fine, James. Thank you." She frowned as her eyes flickered between Tony and Barnes. "Maybe you should head back downstairs, though."

Barnes grimaced and nodded, his one hand flexing at his side. "Right, of course. I'm sorry." As he turned on his heel and stepped around Shuri, Tony sighed and stopped him.

"Wait, hold on a minute there Semi-Stable-One hundred year old man."

Peter sucked in a breath when Barnes turned around slowly, eyeing him warily.

Tony pinched the bridge of his nose. "We should probably talk. Preferably away from those with impressionable ears. And preferably in a way that doesn't end with us trying to kill each other again."

"I...think you're right." Barnes said carefully.

"Great. Perfect. Awesome. Okay, then." The billionaire rambled, his hands fumbling with the remote that he picked up.

When he stepped away, Peter latched onto Tony's under armor sleeve, suddenly finding it hard to breath. The last time he "talked" with the Winter Soldier, he had been broken and battered and left alone in Siberia. The billionaire's expression softened, and he took Peter's hand. "It's fine, kiddo. I know what I'm doing."

Peter nodded slowly and released him. The corner of Tony's lips twitched and he heaved a heavy sigh, finally turning towards their guests. "Princess, I can't wait to dig into that brain of yours that I've heard so much about." Tony narrowed his eyes at Barnes. "You, come with me."

XX

Bucky followed behind the billionaire cautiously. keeping a close eye on his flailing hands. They stepped into the elevator, staying silent until it opened back up a few floors down.

Stark stepped forward and spun around, waiting impatiently for Bucky to say something. The problem was, he had no idea _what_ to say, which didn't make any sense because he had been planning his apology ever since he woke up in Wakanda. Now that he was face to face with Stark, his mind was completely blank.

When it became obvious that Bucky wasn't going to start the conversation, the billionaire rolled his eyes dramatically. "Fine, fine. I guess we're really doing this, huh? Okay how about this. How can I trust that the mush passing itself off as your brain is fixed?"

Bucky scoffed, flexing his hand by his side. "You'll have to trust the Princess on that one, Stark. If she says I can't be mind controlled anymore, I'm inclined to believe her."

The billionaire examined him carefully. "I'll bet you are."

"Listen, Stark. I need to say something to you."

For once, the man kept his mouth shut.

Bucky took a deep breath and went for it. "I'm sorry about Siberia."

Stark's eyes widened, and he opened his mouth to talk back, but Bucky cut him off. "No, I'm serious. It wasn't right what Steve and I did. Leaving you there, alone."

"Don't apologize for Steve," Stark bit out. "He made his decision. He could have told me about you before Zemo, and he didn't."

This time, it was his turn to hold a hand up to cut Bucky's arguments. "Let's not bullshit each other here, Barnes. You got your brain scrambled seventy years ago, and you've been Hydra's bitch since then. One of your hundreds of terrorists missions was to kill my parents. They had you by the balls, and you didn't have a choice."

He took a careful step forward. "But you're different now."

Bucky swallowed and nodded slowly. "I'm different now." Stark gestured for him to continue. Apparently it was his turn to talk now. "I remember them. I remember all of them. They wiped me before every mission, but it was still embedded in my brain. The Princess fixed the programming, but she couldn't take away the memories.

"Steve has been by my side for as long as I can remember. I'm sure you know that he hasn't always been so...big. Used to stuff newspapers into his shoes to make him taller. He didn't have to come after me, but he did. And I'm going to follow him till the end of the line Stark, whatever that means."

Stark's foot was tapping incessantly, and he was studying Bucky so singularly that he fought to keep from squirming under the gaze. They were silent for a few long moments before he finally responded. "I can tell you exactly what it means, Barnes."

Bucky raised an expectant eyebrow.

"You say you wanna follow Cap till the end of the line? That means protecting his family. That includes his kid. Our kids." He shrugged. "Plus the Avengers. Which I'm a part of. Think you can handle all of that?"

He didn't need to think about it for long. He would help protect Steve's family, and if that included the Avengers, then so be it. Steve was his brother. His family was Bucky's family now too. "I can handle that, Stark."

The billionaire snorted and brushed past him, clapping a hand on his shoulder. "So be it. For the record, I'm sorry too. You know, for the whole trying to kill you, thing. And for blowing off your arm. But, the way I see it, now we're even, you know? Now we can start off fresh."

Bucky flinched, absently feeling for his missing limb. "Now we're even."

XX

Steve rushed into the Common Room, still sweaty in his uniform after their debrief. His gaze immediately fixed on the three teenagers piled close together on the main couch, where Natasha curled over the back.

The television was on that YouTube channel Alex showed him a few times, and the three kids were laughing their asses off watching one of those compilation videos Alex forced him to sit down for once.

When he stepped in, he let out a breath of relief at seeing Peter and Alex in one piece. Her gaze broke from the television, and she lit up with a smile when she saw Steve. Alex untangled herself from Shuri and Peter and wrapped both arms around Steve's waist, and he held her tight. He rested his cheek on top of her hair and hummed. "You doin' okay, kiddo?"

She nodded under him. "I'm fine Steve. A little bruised, but nothing that won't heal."

He tightened his grip for just a fraction of a second before pulling back, but keeping one arm around her. "You both did great tonight. You followed orders and carried your own weight. Unexpected things happen all of the time, so you have to know that we don't hold the giant Doombot debacle against either of you."

Natasha leapt over the back of the couch to take Alex's spot next to Shuri, so Steve pushed him and Alex onto the loveseat, keeping his arms in place. He wasn't quite ready to let her go yet. The assassin smirked at them both. "They kept up with us pretty well. Now we can go back and work on new things during training. Tony recorded the entire fight."

Steve's brow furrowed as he looked around. "Where is Tony? I thought he would have been up here with you." The room got suspiciously quiet, and Steve's hackles rose. "What is it?"

Alex bit her lip and shared a look with Peter. "He's with James. They left to talk…"

The super soldier was on his feet in a second, jostling Alex and turning to stare down Natasha. "Where did they go? Why didn't you say something earlier?"

Nat rolled her eyes, and Steve bristled. "They need to sort this out, Steve. If James is staying here at the Compound, they need to learn to tolerate each other."

"You didn't see them last time, Nat!" He growled, ignoring the downcast glances from the teenagers. He was too worried to restrain himself right now. His two best friends in the world could be trying to kill each other again.

A loud cough caught their attention, and he spun around to face the elevator. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Cap." Tony smirked and crossed his arms over this chest. "I'm capable of having a rational, reasonable conversation with your former-assassin friend. What do you take me for, Rogers?"

Steve snorted and wiped both hands across his face with a groan. The billionaire was ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. "What happened, Tony?"

Bucky shrugged nonchalantly. "We talked. Don't worry about it, Stevie."

"You're kidding, right?"

Alex gave him a little shove and slotted herself under his arm again. "Steve, they're both in one piece. I think we would know if they tried to kill each other again."

He gnawed on the inside of his cheek before letting out a heavy breath of air and depositing both him and Alex back onto the loveseat. "Fine. If you both say everything is fine, then I guess I'll have to trust you."

Tony grinned and clapped a hand on his shoulder as he made his way towards Peter. "Right on, El Capitan." He pushed at his kid's shoulder. "Cuddle time, squirt. Move over."

Steve watched as Bucky stretched out comfortably along the other couch, resting his arm behind his head. "What're we watchin'?"

Peter took control of the remote, not bothering to change it from what the teenagers were watching. "Vines. And no, you can't change it just because you are adults."

Tony rolled his eyes, bringing Peter close to his chest and sighing deeply. "Wouldn't dream of it, kiddo."

XX

"What if we add-"

"No, Stark."

"But what about-"

"It's perfect the way it is."

"Well, I don't know…"

Shuri groaned loudly, clapping her hands onto Tony's shoulders and shaking him. "It's perfect, Stark. Take it from another genius. We are not, and I repeat, are not, doing anymore modifications."

Peter cackled from Tony's other side, pushing him away from their latest project. "It's going to be great. Come on, let's go give it to him!"

"Now?" Tony asked incredulously, stopping in his tracks and leaning backwards into Peter's hands. The dead weight probably would have been too much for a normal teenager, but Peter hasn't been "normal" for almost two years.

"No better time than the present." Shuri grinned, shutting the large case and clipping down the locks. "Besides, everyone is having lunch upstairs. He can't say no in front of so many people."

Tony shrugged, snaking an arm around Peter's shoulders and leading them all towards the elevator. "True enough. Bullying people into accepting gifts is my specialty."

When they made it upstairs, Tony took the case from Shuri's hands and threw on his sunglasses. The Avengers, including Pepper, Alex, Barnes, and Okoye were gathered around the enormous wooden dinner table digging into several family meals from one of Tony's favorite Italian restaurants. "F.R.I.D.A.Y." He said with a grin, grabbing the attention of the room. Peter held back a bark of laughter as the lights dimmed around them and a bright spotlight illuminated Tony, Shuri, and himself and the speakers began playing Power by Kanye West on low volume.

Confusion was clear on their friends' faces, but he just deferred to Tony and let him do his thing. His dad _might_ have a flare for the dramatic…

"Ladies, gentleman, super-soldiers, and kittens. Family is important, wouldn't you say?" He gave his best _Tony Stark_ smile, and Peter was a little bit in awe at watching him work a room. "Because that's what we are, right? A family. It started with six extraordinary people who didn't have a single thing in common, and it's now grown into something intangible. Infallible. People who come from all different backgrounds, upbringings, and time periods have found a way to band together to become something greater than any one of us. That truth has made us all into a family. Thanks to our friends in Wakanda, that family grew a little bigger." He gestured towards Steve and Barnes.

"It's no secret that Barnes and I have a rough past. In fact, it's probably a miracle that we can stand to be in the same room as one another. But we're both grown ass adults who can move past our issues for the sake of the team, and that's exactly what we did. When he arrived, Barnes promised to follow Cap, to protect our team. My question is, how the hell does he expect to do that with just one arm?"

Steve and Barnes stood up from their chairs, anger flashing across their faces.

Shuri rolled her eyes and held up her hands. "What Stark means to say, is that we have something for The White Wolf. Not that he is in any way incapable with only one arm."

Peter rubbed a hand over his face. Leave it to Tony to insult a former assassin while trying to do something nice for him.

"That's what I said." The billionaire scowled.

Peter couldn't take it anymore. He grabbed the case out of Tony's hand and set on the table in front of Barnes. "Shuri, Tony, and I made this for you."

The room was quiet except for the music in the background. Steve nudged Barnes, who hadn't let up from glaring at Tony. "Open it, Buck."

Finally, the soldier relented and clicked open the locks. As it opened, so did his mouth. "You've got to be shittin' me."

Alex pushed her way over to stand between Barnes and Steve. "Woah…" Her eyes widened as she took in the arm. "Is that what I think it is?"

Peter grinned. "Sure is."

Barnes shook his head, backing up. "No, no! I can't accept this. No after...Just, no."

But Tony wasn't having it. "Screw that! You're taking the damn arm. No take-backsies."

"Stark, I can't just-"

Tony took a step forward, tearing off the sunglasses with fervor. "Yes, you can. We did this for you. For Steve. The least you can do is try the damn thing on."

Finally, the rest of their team chorused their own approval and encouragement. It took a few more minutes of pushing, but he finally relented. Barnes' deep brown eyes shone in the low light, and he swiped a hand across his face to keep the tears of forming. "Thank you, Stark. I won't let you down."

XX


End file.
